Henry f



Patented May 5,1874. l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. KNAPROF Nnw YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT INPNEUMATIC AND HYDRAULIC CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,584, dated May 5, 1874.; application filed September 23, 1873.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY F. KNAPP, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improve-d Pneumatic and Hydraulic Car-Brake, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine and car provided with my improved brake. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same; Fig. 3, a top view, partly in section, of the pump employed; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the four-way cock 5 and Fig. 5 a cross-section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorrespondi'ng parts in all the figures.

The object of this invention is to produce a brake arrangement for use on railroad-trains that may be entirely and most effectually controlled from the engine, and to utilize in this behalf the operation of a pump, which connects,by flexible tubing, with air or water cylinders suspended from the under side of the cars, the pistons of which cylinders connect with the cross-heads of the brakes.

When suction is applied to this/ilexible tubing, the pistons 'of the aforementioned cylinders will be moved one way,while they will be moved in the opposite direction when'the air or liquid is forced through such flexible tubing by the pump aforesaid. Thus, by reversing the action of the pump as regards its connection with the said flexible tubing and suspended cylinders, the position of the brakes may be reversed, and their action completelyY controlled. To effect this action I have introduced, in connection with the pump and iiexible tubing, a four-way cock, which is so arranged that it can either be turned to make the iiexible tubing, the suction-pipe for the pump, or the discharge-pipe. It will then only be necessary to so place the cock as to make the flexible tubing a suction-pipe when it is desired to put the brakes off, and to turn it the other way to make said tubing a dischargepipe when it is desired to apply the brakes. By this arrangement of the cock, the pump can be kept in constant operation, and will thus be enabled to exhaust the air from the brakefcylinders almost to a complete vacuum, and to compress it therein. The cock mentioned in this connection may also be utilized for other purposes than for the application of brakes, and constitutes. an important feature of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, theletter A represents the locomotive-engine of a train. B B are cars of suitable construction connected with the locomotive. From the under side of each car is suspended a cylinder, whose pistonrod a connects, by a lever, b, and rods d d, with the cross-bars D D of the car-brakes, as is fully indicated in Fig. 2. From the locomotive extends, beneath all the cars, a flexiblel pipe, E, which connects, by suitable branches c, with the several cylinders C. As to the operation of the brake, it will be readily understood that when suitableuidis forced, through the pipe E, into a cylinder, C, and the piston thereof moved out, `the brakes will be appliedagainst the wheel, while, when suction is applied to the pipe E, and the piston of' the cylinder C drawn in, the brakes will be Withdrawn from the wheels. This arrangement may, however, be reversed, so thaty by the application of suction the brakes may be applied, and, by force, they may be put off. The pipe E connects. in the locomotive, with a small cylinder or shell, F, in which there is arranged a cylindrical cock, Gr. This shell and cock may, however, as well be conical. The shell F connects at a point diametrically opposite to where the pipe E enters it, by another pipe, H, with a suitable single or double acting pump, I, which is placed in the locomotive,and operated by steam in suitable manner. On the same side on which thepipe F enters the shell F another short open-ended pipe, J, enters said shell, as shown in Fig. 3, and at a point diametrically opposite to where said pipe J enters the shell another pipe, L, connects the shell with the pump I. As fares the operation of the pump is concerned, the pipe H thereof is the discharge-pipe, and the pipe L the suction-pipe; and however the pump may operate, the function of these two pipes will always remain the same. The cock G hastwo passages, g and h, cut diametrically through it at the same distance from each other as the pipes E and J are from each other where they join the'shell. WVhen the cock is turned into the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the passage g connects the pipes J and Il, and the passage h connects the pipes E and H, the pipe E will become the discharge-'pipe of the pump, and the pipe J the suction-pipe, through whichuair is drawn. When, therefore, in this position, the pump operates, the brakes will be applied, since air is forced, through .the pipe E, into the cylinder C, and the pistons thereof are moved out with the effect already mentioned. The cook G has, however, two more passages out through it, one of which, t', extends from the peripheral line in which the passage gis situated diagonally across to the peripheral line in which the passage 7L is situated, so that its terminal points are on opposite sides of the cock. The other passage, j, ofthe cock extends also diagonally across the same from the peripheral lines aforementioned, but crosses the passage i, so, however, as not to communicate with the same, as indicated in Fig. 3. When the cock is turned to disconnect the passages g h, and to connect the passages 15 j, the eiiect will be that, by the passage j, the pipe J will be connected with H, while the pipe E will be connected with the pipe L by i. The pipe E will thereby become the suction-pipe of the pump, and the pipe J the discharge-pipe; and, if the pump operates, the brakes will be d/tached or disengaged.

In the drawing, I have only shown one pipe, E, under the train, for conveying the compressed air or fluid to the brake-cylinder, and the same pipe answers for -creating a vacuum in the brake-cylinder; but this can be altered by substituting two pipes, one for each end of the two cylinders, and thus, by conveying the compressed air from one pipe to the other, and have it enter either above or below the piston,

rear end of the train, where I put a cap upon.

it to make it air-tight, so that air or water from the pump cannot get out, and must necessarily enter the brake-cylinder.

If desirable, a reservoir for storing up power,

and a vacuum-tank for giving the opposite ef- Y feet, may be placed` in connection with the pump, and with the pipe E, the connections being provided with two-way or other cocks, to be manipulated, so that either one or the other of these tanks may be brought to the aid of the pump.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The cook G, having the diaxnetrieal passages g h, and the diagonal passages i j, and combined with the shell F and pipes E J H L, to operate substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The brake-cylinder C, combined with the exible tubing E, shell F, cock G, pipes H L J, pump I, to operate substantially in the manner specified.

HENRY F. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, J oHN BECKER. 

